Sunday, December 27, 2009

Topic: al Qaeda TodayAMANPOUR has an inside look at how al Qaeda is evolving and spreading throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States through its adept use of the tools of modern communication to perpetuate jihad. In his first TV interview since Fort Hood, Christiane sits down with the U.S. Ambassador at large for Counterterrorism.DANIEL BENJAMIN - U.S. State Department Amb. at large for CounterterrorismKAREN GREENBERG, Executive Director of the Center on Law and Security and editor of the books Al Qaeda Now and The Torture Debate in America.THOMAS HEGGHAMMER - Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, associate at Harvard Kennedy School and a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI) in OsloTopic: MIDEAST PEACE PROCESSIt's one of the most intractable wars of our time the struggle between Palestinians and Israelis over land, the Holy Land. The past 60 years have seen violence and uprising in the Middle East, interrupted only briefly by moments of hope. U.S. President Obama began his administration appointing a high profile envoy and promising to break the log jam, but ten months later it's still deadlocked.AARON DAVID MILLER, Woodrow Wilson Center/former diplomat who served six U.S. Secretary's of StateAMIRA HASS, Ha'aretz , correspondent in the Palestinian territories

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28th: RWANDA: FROM GENOCIDE TO RECONCILIATION

Joseph Sebarenzi speaks to AMANPOUR about his new memoir about the Rwandan genocide that killed his entire family and 800,000 other Tutsis, to becoming a member of parliament and later a specialist on conflict resolution. His story mirrors the story of Rwanda itself, as is struggles to come back from the abyss. HE is joined by Philip Gourevitch, a journalist who has chronicled Rwanda’s genocide and journey toward reconciliation.

JOSEPH SEBARENZI, author “God Sleeps in Rwanda” / TWCPHILIP GOUREVITCH, author “We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29th: NEGOTIATING WITH THE TALIBAN

Eight years after being routed from Afghanistan after 9/11 the Taliban have returned with a vengeance. U.S. and NATO troops are struggling to defeat them but they only seem to be gaining ground. Our roundtable guests discuss whether or not it’s time to switch tactics and try negotiating with the Taliban.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, briefs AMANPOUR on the latest in the prosecution of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and the ongoing violence in Sudan. He’ll also discuss the ICC’s role in prosecuting war crimes in Gaza, election violence in Kenya and allegations of abuse by the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

LUIS MORENO-OCAMPO, International Criminal Court Prosecutor

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31st: AFRICAN WOMEN STANDING FOR PEACE

Grammy-winning singer Angelique Kidjo and Leymah Gbowee recall how women forced Charles Taylor, an accused war criminal, into a peace agreement, and are now laying the groundwork for similar peace agreements in other African nations.

FRIDAY; JANUARY 1st: MAYA LIN: WHAT IS MISSING?In conjunction with COP 15, Maya Lin launches what will become her last memorial – What is Missing? It is a multi-sited and multi-platform art and media work dedicated to raising awareness about endangered and extinct species. What is Missing? links habitat and species loss with the current crisis of extinction – the 6th mass extinction in the earth’s history – but the first to be caused by the actions of a single species – humankind – while also making the crucial link between global warming emissions (20 % of which are caused by deforestation) and habitat protectionMAYA LIN, artist/architect

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2nd-SUNDAY, JANUARY 3rd: WEEKEND SHOW

TOPIC: SELLING WIVESDrought and the global economic crisis are making the situation worse for many women and girls in India who are being used as currency to raise money for their impoverished families. All too often, these women find themselves the victims of sexual trafficking. AMANPOUR asks what can be done to stop this multi-billion dollar trade.

TOPIC: AFGHAN OPIUM TRADEAmanpour has the first look at a new report from the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime on the global heroine trade. More people die from this drug than any other in the world – 90 percent of it grown inside Afghanistan. Is there anything that can be done to stop it?